Explosive-engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. WALRATH. EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

No. 577,898. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

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JESSE VALRATH, OF RACINE, YVISCONSIN.

EXPLOSlVE-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,898, dated March 2, 1897. Application filed December 9, 1895. Serial No- 5'7l,50'7- (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ESSE WALRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Explosive-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to explosive-engines, such as gas and oil engines, and has for its object to simplify and improve the construc tion with a view of decreased cost, greater d urability, and increased efficiency.

My invention is directed to the valve-gear for controlling the admission and the exhaust of the explosive mixture; and it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices which will be hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, like notations referring to like parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a vertical central section through a vertical engine on the line 00' 0c of Fig. 2, or substantially in the plane of the horizontal crank-shaft, looking outward-or toward what is ordinarily regarded as the front of the engine. With the parts arranged as shown the crank-shaft turns toward the observer facing Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the engine with some parts removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line a m of Figs. 2 and 4, or at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line x 00 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section, of the top of the engine with the yoke and the top gearwheel removed; and Fig. 6 is a detail, partly in section and partly in elevation, with some portions broken away, showing the relation of the top gear-wheel and the cam-shoe thereon to one of the puppet-valves which control the admission and exhaust of the explosive mixture.

On a suitable base 1 is mounted, in an upright position, the engine-cylinder, composed of the body-casting 2 and the head-casting 3, which unite with a tight joint and are both constructed with double walls spaced apart to form a circulating chamber or jacket 4 for the cooling-water. The double walls of the cylinder-body extend downward to the flange, which rests upon the top of the base and is securely bolted thereto, while the inner wall or cylinder proper of the bod y-casting extends farther downward into the interior of the hollow'base-casting 1 and is open at its lower end.

The cylinder is fitted with a trunk-piston 5 of the proper length to serve also as a cross head and provided near its upper end with a pair of packing-rings 6 and near its lower end with a wiper-ring 7 fora special purpose which will be hereinafter noted. The piston 5 connects directly, by means of cross-head pin 8 and main rod 9, with the crank of the engineshaft 10. The said crank or engine-shaft 10 is horizontally disposed in the base-casting l on suitable bearings forming a part of or secured to the said base. The engine-shaft 10 projects outward beyond the side walls of the base and is provided with a pair of combined balance-wheels and pulleys 11, one at each end of the shaft.

The cylinder-bore is of a length sufliciently greater than the piston stroke or travel to afford an explosion-chamber above the piston, between the piston and the cylinder-head, when the piston is at its uppermost limit, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The cylinder-head 3 is provided with a suitable inlet-passage 12, with port 12, opening into the explosion-chamber, for the ad mission of the explosion material, under the control of a spring-seated outwardly-closing puppetvalve 12 with beveled head working against the reversely-beveled walls of the port 12 and is also provided with a suitable outlet-passage 13, with outlet-port 13 for the exhaust of the used or spent materials, under the control of a s pring-seated outwardly-closing puppet-valve 13". The inlet-valve and the port controlled thereby are best shown in Fig. 3, and the outlet-valve and the exhaust-port controlled thereby are best shown in Fig. 1. The inlet and outlet passages 12 and 13 and the valves controlling the ports therein are ninety degrees apart or arranged on the quarters, as best shown in Figs. 2, 4:, and 5.

The stems of the puppet-valves 12 and 13 extend outward through the cylinder-head 3,

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parallel with and eccentric to the cylinderaxis, and have attached to their outer ends inverted-cup-like caps 14, which work or telescope within cup-like seats or bearing-lugs 15, rising from the top of the cylinder-head. These caps 14 inclose the upper ends of the springs 16, which encircle the valve-stems be tween the said caps and the cylinder-head and operate to normally hold the said valves in their closed position. The said caps 14 and their seats 15 cooperate to form upper end guides or bearings for the valve-stems, which serve to accurately center the valves and insure the straight-line movement of the same. The said caps 14 are provided on their upper ends with rollers 17, j ournaled in suitable lugs rising therefrom. The said rollers 17 are subject to the action of a profile cam or cam-shoe 18, carried on the under surface of a horizontal gear-wheel 19, which is provided with a hollow hub, the lower end of which rests on a central hollow boss 20, rising from the cylinder-head 3, and the upper end of which is seated in a top yoke 21, embracing the wheel 19 and bolted fast or otherwise made fast to the cylinder-head. Ballbearings 22 are placed between a shoulder of the hub of the wheel 19 and the yoke 21 in a raceway formed by suitable half-grooves in the said parts for taking the upward thrust on the said wheel from the valves 12 and 13 The said gear-wheel 19 is also mounted on the upper end of a hollow stub shaft or sleeve 23, which is headed at its lower end and extends upward through the cylinder-head and the central boss thereon and through the yoke 21 and is held in place by the spindle member 24 of an electric igniter, which spindie is headed at its lower end and extends upward through the sleeve 23 and is provided on its upper or projecting end with a knurled nut or other hand device 25, adjustable on the end of said spindle. A spring 26 encircles the said spindle 24 between the nut 25 and a washer 27, resting on the yoke 21 and the hub of the wheel 19, which spring serves to hold the spindle 24 in its uppermost position, and thereby causes the spindle to hold the sleeve 23 in its uppermost position with sufficiently tight joints between the head of the spindle and the head of the sleeve and between the head of the sleeve and the cylinder-head.

The gear 19 is rotatively connected to the sleeve 23 by a feather 28, or in any other suitable way which will permit the gear to slide lengthwise of the sleeve, while locking the said parts together for common rotary movement. The sleeve 23 has a similar connection with the spindle 24 by a feather 29, or by other suitable means which will cause the said parts to rotate together, while permitting independent axial motion of either in respect to the other. It will be understood, of course, that the grooves of the groove-and feather connections 28 and 29 are slightly longer than the feather portions, so as to permit a slight axial or longitudinal movement of the parts with respect to each other. The said spindle carries, at its lower end within the explosion-chamber, the wiper-arm contact 30, which cooperates with a similar wiper-arm contact 30 on the inner end of the other electrode 31, the stem of which extends outward through a suitable bushing 32, supported in the screw-threaded plug-nut 33 and insulated therefrom by insulation 34. The spindle 24 receives current from the engine, which is connected, by means not shown, with one pole of a battery or other source, and the electrode 31 connects to the other pole of the battery or source by a wire (not shown) in the usual way.

The gear 19 receives motion, in the direction indicated by the arrow thereon, at the rate of one to two from the engine-shaft 10, through a suitable drive connecting the same therewith. As shown, this drive comprises a pair of miter-gears 35, one on the engineshaft 10 and the other on the lower end of the valve-gear shaft 36, and a spur-gear 37 on the upper end of the said shaft 36, which engages with the wheel 19 on the top of the cylinder-head. The said valve-gear shaft 36 is supported in an upright position by suitable bearings provided for the same in the base and on the cylinder-castin g. The spur-gear 37 is of the proper size relative to the top gear 19 to cause the drive from the engine-shaft to turn the gear-wheel 19 one revolution while the engine-shaft turns two revolutions.

Having regard to the action or operation of the engine, let it be assumed that the gas or vaporized oil is supplied to the inlet-passage 12 in the proper quantities from any suitable source of supply, such as a gas-bag, carbureter, or vaporizer, under the control of any suitable governing-valve and governor (not shown) receiving motion from the engineshaft or valve-gear shaft in any suitable way. Let it also be assumed that the engine has been started, either by an explosion from a cartridge or powder charge contained in a suitable starter (not shown) and delivering into the explosion-chamber when the piston is at its uppermost limit, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, or to have been started by hand in the old way. Let it also be assumed that the piston is about to make its suction stroke, or that the admission-valve is about to be opened, or the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Then under the continued movement of the top gear-wheel 19 the cam-shoe 18, coming in contact with the roller 17 on the admission-valve 12, will throw the said valve into its open position and hold the same open until the piston has nearly completed its outward stroke, thereby permitting the piston to suck the mixture into the cylinder and explosion-chamber. Just before the piston starts on its return stroke the admissionvalve 12 will be released from the cam-shoe 18 under the movement of the wheel 19, thereby permitting the spring 16 to throw the said valve into its closed position and confining the explosive material within the cylinder and explosion-chamber during the next two quarters of the gear-wheels revolution. During the first upward or compressing stroke of the piston, after the mixture has been confined, the mixture will be compressed to the proper degree, and at the limit of the pistons upward stroke the electrodes of the igniter will separate to form the spark and explode the mixture, thereby applying the expansive force of the compressed gas or vaporized oil and air to impart the working stroke to the piston. As the piston reaches the limit of its outward movement on its working stroke the cam-shoe 18 will open the exhaust-valve 13 and hold the same open during the last quarter of the gear-wheels movement to permit the piston to expel or effect the exhaust of the used or spent gases during its final or return stroke upward to complete the cycle. Otherwise stated, the valve-gear herein disclosed will positively open the admissionvalve and hold the same open during substantially the first quarter of the gear-wheels movement and will open the exhaust-valve and hold the same open during substantially the fourth quarter of the gear-wheels movement, and the springs, acting on the valves in cooperation with the efiect of the confined mixture under compression and explosion, will hold the valves closed during the second and third quarters or as required for the compressing action on the second quarter and. the explosive or power-applying action on the third quarter.

Of course it will be understood that under the control of the governing-valve and governor (not shown) the proper quantity of free air, together with the proper quantity of vaporized oil or the proper quantity of gas, is

supplied to the inlet 12, according to load.

For the purpose of this case it has not been deemeduecessary to illustrate the governing valve or governor or to show the starter, which in practice I employ with the other parts of the engine herein shown. As hitherto noted, my present invention is directedto the valve-gear, and from the description above given and the drawings forming a part of the disclosure herein made it must be obvious that the said valve-gear is of extremely simple construction; that it is positive in its action, affording an accurately-timed and reliable admission and exhaust; that all the parts are readily accessible, and all are of a character to stand long service under rough usage. The said features of invention, taken together with the control of the supply of the explosive mixture through a suitable governing-valve and governor (not shown) for regulating the supply according to load, constitutes an extremely simple, cheap, and efficient engine.

The fact that the gear-wheel 19, the hollow stub-shaft or sleeve 23, and the spindle 24 are free for independent axial sliding motion one on the other insures the necessary tightness of the joints in the explosion-chamber under the action of the spring 26, as hitherto noted, and also permits the upward thrust on the gear-wheel 19 to be taken on the ball-bearings 22 during the time that the cam-shoe 18 is riding on. the valve-stem rollers 17, thereby greatly reducing the friction on the said gearwheel.

It has not been deemed material to this case to set forth the details or special construction of the base 1; but it should perhaps be noted that this base is of such a character that when all the parts are in working position it will form a closed casing for all the parts therein, which casing is in communication with the atmosphere only through a suitable opening (not shown) through which free air is drawn into the casing on the upstroke of the piston and expelled therefrom on the 'downstroke of the piston. The base is then filled with oil tothe desired extent for permitting the splashing action from the crank of the engine-shaft and the action of the air thereon to distribute an abundance of oil on all the working parts, including the cylinder, piston, and cross-head pin. By actual experience I have discovered that while this arrangement affords an abundance of lubrication to the cylinder and piston the conjoint effect of the oil from the base and the debris from the combustion in the cylinder above the piston is to accumulate more or less of a smudge between the cylinder and piston, and for the removal of the same I have provided the wiper-ring 7 near the, lower end of the piston, which at every outward stroke of the piston will pass outward beyond the lower end of the cylinder and discharge the said material from the cylinder. The action of the wiper-ring 7 therefore keeps the cylinder comparatively clean.

One of the bonnets or hand-hole covers, which cooperate with the removable vent-pipe (not shown) to afford access to the interior of the base, is shown at 38 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

It will be understood that some of the minor details of my construction might be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention. I propose in practice to use in connection with the parts herein shown a special form of governing-valve for controlling the supply of the explosive mixture according to load and a special form of starter, for which applications will be made.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In an explosive-engine, the combination with outwardly-closing puppet-valves, controlling the admission and exhaust of the explosive mixture, of a Wheel mounted with its profile face passing over the stems of said valves and provided with a cam-surface which is adapted to operate on said valves, in succession, the relative locations of said valves, with respect to each other and to said cam:

surface, being such as to give the properlytimed actions, substantially as described.

2. In an explosive-engine, the combination with a cylinder-head having inlet and exhaust ports, for the explosive mixture, of outwardly-closing spring-seated puppet-valves, controlling said ports, with their stems extending outward through said cylinder-head parallel With and eccentric to the cylinderaxis, a gear-wheel with hollow hub centrally mounted on said cylinder-head and having a profile cam shoe or surface operative on said valve-stem s, to open said valves, in the proper order, an electric igniter with its electrodes in the explosion-chamber, one member of which is carried by a spindle extending through said Wheel-hub and rotated thereby, and connections, for driving said gear-wheel from the engine-shaft, substantially as described.

3. The combination With the cylinder-head with admission and exhaust ports for the explosive material, of the spring-seated outwardly closing puppet-valves, controlling said ports, the gear-wheel With hollow hub mounted on the cylinder-head, and provided with the profile cam shoe or surface, for action on said valves, the hollow stub-shaft or sleeve extending through said sleeve-hub and cylinder-head, the spring-held igniter-spindle extending through said sleeve, With said spindie-sleeve and Wheel-hub connected for common rotary movement but free for independent axial movement, and connections for driving said gear-Wheel from the engine-shaft,

37 from the engine-shaft to the gear-wheel substantially as described.

4. The combination with the cylinder-head having admission' and exhaust ports for the explosive material, of outWardly-closin g puppet-valves controlling said ports, the gear- Wheel mounted for rotary and a slight axial movement, a profile cam-shoe on said gearwheel operative on said valves, and antifriction bearing devices working against the outer face of said gear-wheel and resisting the outward pressure on the same, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the cylinder-head having admission and exhaust ports for the explosive material, of spring seated out- Wardly closing puppet valves, controlling said ports, the hollow sleeve mounted for both rotary and axial movements in the head of said cylinder, the spring-heldigniter-spindle, rotatable with said sleeve but having a slight axialmovementtherethrough, the gear-Wheel with hollow hub rotatable with, but permitting axial movement of, said sleeve, a profile cam-shoe on said gear-wheel, operative on said valves, and ball-bearings working between the outer face of said gear-Wheel and the fixed bearing-support, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the cylinder-head 3 having admission and exhaust ports, of the puppet-valves 12 and 13", controlling said ports, the yoke 21, the gear-Wheel 19 held by said cylind er-head and yoke, the cam-shoe 18, on said wheel, the caps 14 on said valve-stems embracing the springs 16 and telescoping in the cup-like seats 15, the rollers 17 on said caps, the sleeve 23 working through the wheelhub and cylinder-head, the spindle 24, working through said sleeve, with said parts 19, 23 and 24, rotatively connected with freedom for independent axial motion, the nut 25 and spring 26, and the driving connections 35, 36,

19, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JESSE WVALRATI-I. Witnesses:

T. P. HARDY, GEO. L. EDDY. 

